The Mintos dropped a 2-1 decision to the Tisdale Trojans on Sunday to fall behind two games to none in the best-of-five Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League quarter-finals.

Prince Albert, which also lost 3-2 in the opening game on Friday, must win on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre to avoid elimination and face an entire month on the sidelines before hosting the Western Regional championship in the first week of April.

Sunday’s game was much like Friday with plenty of close checking. The teams battled through a scoreless opening period and then did all of the scoring in the middle frame.

Cole McBride sandwiched a pair of goals around a marker by Prince Albert’s Dakota Boutin and for the rest of the game the Mintos tried to get the equalizer, but couldn’t beat Brandon Holtby in the Trojans’ goal.

Holtby and Connor Ingram for the Mintos each faced 28 shots as it was a battle the entire game.

Prince Albert, which has been to the last three championship finals, will need a gritty effort to extend the series and a whole lot of character to avoid being upset by the sixth-seeded Trojans.

Should Prince Albert win on Wednesday the series will return to Tisdale on Thursday with a fifth and deciding game slated for Sunday.